Dragon Roars Will Echo The Globe On September 18 With Launch Of Dragon's Prophet In North America And Europe

Sony Online Entertainment - 08/02/2013

LAS VEGAS and BERLIN, Aug. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) and Infernum Productions AG announced last night at the annual SOE Live fan event that the free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Dragon's Prophet, will launch in North America and Europe on Sept. 18, 2013. Developed by Runewaker Entertainment, Dragon's Prophet allows players the opportunity to capture, train, ride and fight hundreds of unique dragons while unlocking their unique skills and abilities. Currently in Open Beta, players have journeyed through the beautiful, vast realm of Auratia to see if they have what it takes to become the next Dragon's Prophet. At launch, players will also be able to participate in intense player-versus-player (PvP) siege matches with the introduction of the Frontier System.

"Dragon's Prophet has brought together what every fantasy-MMO player looks for in a new game: intense, action-based combat, a compelling end-game siege system, and more dragons than any other MMO to play and interact with like never before," said John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment. "Open Beta continues to provide us with valuable player feedback, and working closely with Runewaker and Infernum, we have already made major strides in improving the game's performance. We will continue to integrate feedback and make refinements to the game to ensure that Dragon's Prophet delivers a high-quality, meaningful online experience at launch and beyond."

"Thanks to the help of thousands of passionate beta testers and the tireless efforts of everyone involved, we are now close to the next milestone in Dragon's Prophet," said Andreas Weidenhaupt, CEO at Infernum Productions. "Almost three months after the open beta started, we have already made huge progress! After we revisited the existing gameplay systems on a huge scale and delivered new content to Dragon's Prophet, we will now continuously improve the performance, address balancing issues and rework all zones as well as the 30 dungeons we already released. When the game launches, we will deliver an additional zone as well as the long-awaited Frontier System with its epic cross-server PvP battles. Gaming has never been this diverse and thrilling – and you're experiencing it on the back of a mighty dragon!"

The Frontier System will allow players to partake in alliance siege matches featuring multiple guilds, as they fight for control of citadels in Auratia. Once they are in command, players will have to continuously upkeep their kingdom and defend the city walls from enemy guilds. In addition to the Frontier System and guild alliance battles, Dragon's Prophet will introduce a host of fresh content and features at launch, including a new adventuring zone with four dungeons, increased level cap, and more.

"Since entering Open Beta earlier this year, SOE and Infernum have created a strong, engaging relationship with their respective Dragon's Prophet player communities," said Tony Tang, founder and vice president of business development, Runewaker Entertainment. "From their years of experience in delivering innovative, engrossing games, both companies have provided us with expert advice during the development of Dragon's Prophet. We are confident that Dragon's Prophet will see global success at launch."

In Dragon's Prophet players must choose from four distinct player classes – ranger, sorcerer, guardian or oracle – and band together to battle a variety of dragons and beasts as they work to restore order to the land from the evil Black Dragon that has escaped his eternal prison, and is more dangerous than ever. Featuring an action-based combat system, Dragon's Prophet gives players visceral battle action gameplay, with a higher degree of control and wider range of tactical options than traditional MMOs.

Dragon's Prophetis currently in Open Beta and will be available as a Free-To-Play. Your Way.® title on PC systems via digital download on Sept. 18, 2013 in North America from SOE or any of its digital partners, and in Europe from Infernum Productions.

About Sony Online EntertainmentSony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games. Best known for its blockbuster hits and franchises, including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, PlanetSide®, Free Realms®, Star Wars®: Clone Wars Adventures™, DC Universe™ Online, and the recently launched PlanetSide®2, SOE creates, develops and provides compelling online entertainment for a variety of platforms. SOE is building on its proven legacy and pioneering the future of online worlds through creative development and inspired gameplay design for audiences of all ages. To learn more, visit www.soe.com.

SOE, the SOE logo, Free to Play. Your Way., EverQuest, Champions of Norrath, PlanetSide, and Free Realms are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

About Infernum Productions AGInfernum Productions is an international publisher and developer of online games, based in Berlin. The company was founded in the summer of 2011 by former Frogster executives and focuses on high-quality free-to-play titles. Dragon's Prophet is the second title licensed by the Berlin startup. The game now joins Infernum's debut title, Brick-Force, which has already exceeded 2 million registered players. For further information please visit: www.infernum.com.

About Runewaker Entertainment Runewaker Entertainment was founded in August of 2004. Runewaker is one of the leading Taiwanese entertainment software developers. All the founding members of the team are industry veterans who share the same dream and vision. All members of the Runewaker team are passionate and well-versed in different genres of games. Equipped with the most advanced artistic style and innovative development technology the company aims to create games that are enjoyable for a wide range of audiences. In addition to having a group of talented and dedicated in-house staff, Runewaker also actively collaborate with leading publishers to create games that will be setting a new standard for the industry.